WIC increases limits

The Allegheny County Health Department has announced income limits for its Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Supplemental Food and Nutrition Program increased on July 1.

The income limits, based on family size, went up by 1.2 percent to 1.5 percent. WIC serves about 16,000 individuals and has funding to enroll an additional 2,000.

WIC isn’t just for families on public assistance. Eligibility is based on both income and medical or nutritional risk, but the income limits allow benefits for many working families with modest incomes.

The new limits are an annual gross income of $21,590 for a family of one; $29,101 for 2; $36,612 for 3; $44,123 for 4; $51,634 for 5; $59,145 for 6; $66,656 for 7; and $74,167 for 8. Add $7,511 for each additional member beyond 8. Unborn children are counted when the woman is pregnant.

WIC is a federally funded program for income- and medically-eligible pregnant women, postpartum mothers, breastfeeding mothers, and children under the age of five.